One of the first things women tend to do when they find out they’re pregnant is to question the safety of everything they are eating or drinking.

Without a second thought, the moment you get pregnant, you will probably start to question things you never thought would be harmful.

Let’s look at whether consuming turmeric tea is safe during pregnancy.

Turmeric powder

Turmeric or Curcuma longa is a plant from the ginger family. It has been found to have medicinal properties and in many cultures has been used for healing for hundreds of years. In India, for example, this golden yellow spice has been used for cooking and in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years.

Turmeric root has many beneficial properties; it has antioxidant properties and its anti-inflammatory effect reduces inflammation. This means turmeric consumption can help your body find its healthy balance.

Research has shown that curcumin intake, whether in the form of turmeric powder or even fresh turmeric root, has many potential health benefits, such as regulating high blood pressure and blood sugar.

Is turmeric tea safe during pregnancy?

If you’ve read any of my articles you will know how strongly I insist that research into obstetrics and into women’s business in general has let us down in a big way.

When we look at obstetrics-related research we find practically nothing; it’s often something that reads ‘We haven’t provided, we’ve failed you but, because you’re pregnant and for the sake of your baby, just don’t‘.

In my articles about herbal supplements and herbal medicine, the ‘necessary further research’ I usually talk about is, however, finally starting to happen – or at least with regard to turmeric and pregnancy.

Can you drink turmeric tea while pregnant?

Two different studies in 2018 and 2020 are looking at the risks compared with the health benefits of turmeric supplementation in pregnancy. The results are quite impressive.

Turmeric benefits are so many that it’s deemed safe for consumption during pregnancy. Having said that – and in case you go crazy on the curcumin – be mindful that more conservative research still advises against its use during pregnancy.

Avoid curcumin supplementation during pregnancy. Keep away from turmeric supplements and just use it for cooking as much as you want.

Health benefits of turmeric during pregnancy

The latest research has shown that ‘the reported anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-toxicant, neuroprotective, immunomodulatory, antiapoptotic, antiangiogenic, anti-hypertensive and anti-diabetic properties of curcumin appear to be encouraging, not only for the management of pregnancy-related disorders, including gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), preeclampsia (PE), depression, preterm birth, and fetal growth disorders but also to contrast damage induced by natural and chemical toxic agents’.

This means that consuming turmeric during pregnancy is safe and cleanses previous harm and toxicity in your body.

During pregnancy, turmeric can make a huge difference in sciatica, sore muscles, back pain, bleeding gums (many pregnant women swear by this turmeric mouthwash), cervical ripening, mood disorders and postpartum depression.

The health benefits are so important that you should start to consume turmeric right away, whether you’re pregnant or not.

Side effects of turmeric during pregnancy

As a precaution, it’s always a good idea to refrain from taking turmeric supplements during pregnancy. Just add natural dietary curcumin to your food. A large amount of curcumin (present at 3% in curcumin supplements) might present a risk to pregnant women, although – and I’ll say it again ‘further research is needed’. Dried turmeric powder or the ground fresh root can be safely consumed without having to worry about large doses or how much turmeric you’re taking.

Just incorporate turmeric into a balanced diet and you’ll be good to go. Remember to take the active ingredient from the natural product and do not take curcumin dietary supplements.

Now we’ve established the capacity of turmeric to reduce inflammation it can be effectively used for pregnancy-related complications. Too much inflammation can have adverse effects and stimulate uterine contractions; therefore there’s an increased risk of premature labor. Taking turmeric during pregnancy could help reduce the inflammation that might trigger premature labor.

Turmeric on the skin while pregnant

Although ‘too much turmeric’ would really be a lot of turmeric, we can understand the worry as pregnant women might ingest it in turmeric tea or turmeric milk; the skin, however, adds an extra protective layer.

Turmeric can be used safely on the skin of pregnant women, especially those who suffer from skin pregnancy complications due to hormonal fluctuations, such as pregnancy acne or contact rash.

Just be aware that turmeric yellow color will heavily dye your skin, even the fingers on the hand you use to apply it.

Read more in BellyBelly’s article Pregnancy Acne | Types, Causes And Treatment

Turmeric powder for women’s health

Although we’ve established the great properties of turmeric for pregnant women, there’s a lot to be gained from curcumin, considering its amazing anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits.

Reducing oxidative stress has many benefits for normal physiological processes that might not have been able to develop properly.

Conditions that affect women’s health, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, insulin sensitivity, primary amenorrhea, joint pain, and endometriosis (when endometrial cells grow and develop outside of the uterine cavity) can be greatly improved. Research has shown that proinflammatory cytokines, responsible for these conditions, were greatly reduced in those who consumed curcumin.

Talk to your healthcare provider if you are uncertain about how turmeric consumption can improve your health.

How to prepare turmeric tea?

I’m going to give you two different recipes: one shows you how to make perfectly brewed turmeric tea and the other is the recipe for the so-called ‘golden milk’.

Put water on to boil. In the meantime, put a couple of spoons of turmeric powder in your cup.

Despite what you might have heard, the water doesn’t need to boil for the perfect cup of tea. Once the water boils and starts to move and bubble in the pot, the water loses a lot of properties.

As the temperature is rising, you will see that small bubbles begin to form where the water is in contact with the pan. Once the pan is fully covered by these tiny air bubbles it means the water has reached 70-80ºC and that’s the perfect temperature for the water to extract all the healthy properties from any herbal medicine you are brewing.

Pour the water into the cup and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Your turmeric tea is now ready for consumption.

The golden drink is very easy to make. Heat some milk (coconut or any milk of your choice). Add ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric powder and a pinch of black pepper and it’s ready.

Turmeric milk is not only yummy but it has neuroprotective effects which means a healthier body.

For pregnant women, it also means adequate fetal development with healthy pregnancy outcomes.